Machine for



Sw K 0 O R 1B D W (No Model.)

MACHINE PUR V.APPLYING SOLDER T0 GAN GAP UNITED STATES ll PATENT WILLIAM DYER BROOKS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO MARY F.. BROOKS, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHIN E FOR APPLYING SOLDER TO CAN-CAPS.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent N0. 431,933, dated July 8, 1890.

Application led March 5, 1890. Serial No, 342,755. (No model.)

To aZZ whom t may concern.-

Bc it known that I, WILLIAM DYEE BRooKs, of Baltimore, Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Applying Solder to Can-Caps; and Ide hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to the soldering of thecapsof cans,'such as the ordinary provisio ion-cans; and it consists of a machine for applying to the can-cap a bead of solder in the manner and for the purpose hereinafter described.

I-Ieretofore the edges of the sheets lused in x 5 forming tin cans have been provided with a ilm of solder formed by dipping them into a bath of molten solder; thesamebein g described in .Letters Patent of the United States No. 92,258, grantedon the (3th day of July, 1800.

`2o Further, in United States Patent No. 364,662,

of June 14, 1887,'i's described a sheet-metal cancap having its edge provided with a band or strip of solder folded over the edgefthe solder being applied in the form of a thin ribbon.;

Itis desirable to provide the can-caps with* a larger amount of solder than that which would adhere to thev edge of the sheet metal when dipped in fthe molten s-f,\derl and-,also to have this soldei 'evenly distributed; upon 3o the upper edge of the cap, so thatwhen the cap is seated in its groove in thehead ofthe can the edge thereof will bear upon the seat, andwthe solder when melted will Abe, sweated through into thesseam fronabove. In addi- 3 5 tion'to these desirable objects I have sought also to'` provide" for the rapid, accurate, and uniform application of the solder to the caps.

My invention is` illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- 4o Figure 1 represents a central vertical sec` tion of the entire machine, some of the working parts-being shown in side elevation. Figs. 2 and 3 show, respectively, a section and perspective view of the cap. Fig. 4.- shows a plan view of a part of the spout and its relation to the machine. Fig. 5 is a detail view, on a larger scale, of the device for supporting the cap and applying the solder. Figs. 6 and 7 show modifications.

5o I have shown the devices by which my invention is practically applied as embodied in the ordinary form of table having step-bystep movement.

The general construction of the table and the devices by which it is operated, together with the devices by which the caps are rotated for the application of the solder, are substantially the same aslthose shown in Letters Patent of the United States, granted to me on the 16th day of July, 188i), No.407,161. 6o

Instead of the ordinary seat mounted upon the spindles which have the planetary movement, I have provided a seat a, which has a central plain surface, which in shape and diameter corresponds to the plain under sur 65 face of the cap. Around or bordering on this plain surface is a downwardly-inclincd bevel 1, on which rests snugly the downwardlybent flange on the margin of the cap when in place, and outside of this is an upwardly- 7o raised rim of the scat marked 2, the bevel and the rim forming an ann nlar groove. The parts are so proportioned to the diameter ot' `the cap that the edge of the cap rests against the inner face of the rim and leaves a groove in whichthe solder is molded. The plain under"l surface of the cap and the form of flange are shown more clearly in the section Fig. 2.

This device is tolsupplort the cap while the 8o solder is applied, and from this the process or method may be readily understood, which consists in molding upon the margin of the upper face of the cap a bead of solder in a molten condition. This may be done by a variety of devices of simple nature and by hand work, which would be necessarily slow and more expensive, it being required only that the molten solderbe poured evenly upon the edge, either turning the cap by the hand 9c or moving the hand around the edge of the cap; but in a machine having rotating capsupportingQ disks the cap is turned to the solder-applying devices.

In order to hold the cap down while the solder is applied, I have provided a pressureloot 3, having an under surface fitted. in size and shape to cover the plain upper portion of the cap, but to leave between its edge and the margin of the cap an annular space, too

'iihe which is tolreeniive the bead of solder. foot is held upon a spindle 4, adapted to turn freely in a sleeve 5 on an arm (l, carried with .ahetablc. The cap-seat a is turned bythe pinion l), in mesh with the master-wheel c, as fully explained in the aforesaid patent. The Weight of the foot is sufficient to hold dewn the cap; but alight spring may be used if the foot be made light. I

I have thus described a single cap-holder; but it will be readily understood that I design a series of these arranged about the circular table as the can-holders are arranged in my said patent and in this class of machines used for heading cans, and the table in this machine has the same stcp-by-step movement sufficient to bring the caps successively to the solder-applying devices asr the cans are brought in heading-machines above referred to.

In the form shown in Figs. 1 and 5 the solder is contained in a molten condition lin a tube (l, which is supported on a bracket e, mounted on the base on which the table turns. The tube has a small nozzle at its lower ciad, with an orifice for the escape of the solder, and is placed, preferably, in an inclined position, so as to bring the nozzle directly over the margin of the cap when in its place upon the seat and at the station where the sol er is applied. The tube is provided with a valvestem 7, which extends axially therein, and the lower end of the stem forms a valve to close the orifice. The stem is held in a bracket 8, and is normally pressed down by a light spring 9. It is raised at the proper moment by means of a cam-face projection on the outside of the master-wheel c, which projection strikes the inner end of the lever 11 at the instant when the cap reaches its place under the nozzle. The lever lifts the rod 13, and this in turn lifts a lever 14, which rests under a collar on the stem 0, and raises the valve off its seat to allow the solder to be discharged onto the margin of the cap. flhe cap is continuously revolved and the step-bystep movement of the table is timed to allow a cap to remain at the station long enough to complete the required number of revo utfens and receive the solder around the whole margin. j

In order to keep the reservoir in the tule d continuously supplied with solder, it is fc5;

- in the form of wire 15 from a roll or drum lil-through a tube 17. The drum is turned by means of a pawl and ratchet worked by a rod 18, connected to the lever 11, so that an increment of solder is added at each station to compensate for the loss. The solder wire is melted by the heat of that in the reservoir. The heat is maintained by a gasoline flame from a tube 19, which i'lame bears against the tube el. Another branch of tube 2O is arranged to bear against the nozzle of the tube d to cause the free llow of the solder on the cap. The lower fiame may play over and against the rim of the seat and the cap edge.

tierces In order to prevent the solder from adhering to the pressure-'foot and the seat, it is better to face them with porcelain or some other suitable material to which'the solder will not adhere. As soon as the revolution of the eapseat is completed, another movement of the table A takes place in moving the cap, which has been supplied with solder from the 'Ham e, and bringing another to its place. As soon as the seat starts from the soldering-pomt, the cam projection l0 lifts the .lever ll and allows the valve to close again. In this way the cans are brought successively to the solder-applying devices and are moved therefrom step by step until they reach the dischargestation at another point in the eircu mt'erence of the machine. Such adisehargestation is shown on the right of Fig. l. At that station where the seat stops 'is a chutef7 the chute being arranged. as shown .in Fi t, with the chute having its upper end near the scat d. .lust before it .reaches this station the stem 21, which carries on its upper end a disk 22, resting normally in a recess in the seat, is lifted by a cam marked 23, and .this raises the cap off its seat. This is done Just before the seat in its motionl reaches a curved arm 24, extend ing horizontally across the path of the seat and just above` its surface. The stem rides over the cam-path and drops toits place as the seat reaches its position umlef' the arm. rllhe arm is on the lever 25,pivoted at 26, and its lower en d curved underneath the master-wheel, where it comes in contact with a projection 27, which moves it to bring the arm into position. above described and as shown in Fig. 1. As soon as the seat reaches the discharging-station al'. that instant the end of the lever passes oll from the prejection and a spring 2S suddenly draws the lever inward and tips the cap 7L off onto the chute. rlhe seat is then emptied and passes on to another station, where the attendant puts on the caps. llefore the seat can be thus discharged the pressure-foot must be lifted. This is effected by means of a lever 29, (one for each pi'essurefoen) which pivoted on a standard on the arm (i, and the inner end of it is operated at the proper time by the cam-track 30, this track being arranged to let the foot down after the seat has passed the discharge and feed stations.

Instead of the reservoir in the tube (l, I may apply the wire solder directly to the margin of the cap, as shown in Fig. 6, in which. the wire solder is fed down through the guide tube m, and it is melted as it projects on the margin by a-tlame 32.

In Fig. 7 I have shown another modifica tion, in which a soldering-iron n takes theI place of the nozzle and is kept hot by the llame 33, while the wire solder 34: is fed against it or near enough to be melted. by the heat.-

By the means above described a bead 35 of solder is lcd down the margin on the upper surface of the cap, and when the cap is in place on the can-head and the heat applied.

IOO

ITO

thereto the solder runs down into the groove and is sweated into the seam.

I claim as my inventionl. The revolving seat having a groove about its edge to receive the can-cap, a presser-foot for holding down the can-cap, and means for applying molten solder to the margin of said cap, substantially as described.

2. A revolving seat having a groove about its edge, a presser-foot for holding down the cap, a reservoir-tube arranged to deliver the solder to the margin of the cap, and means for heating said tube, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the revolving seat, a reservoir-tube, means-for supplying solder thereto, and a flame-tube having one branch VILLIAM DYER BROOKS.

Witnesses:

WALTER DONALDSON, FRANK L. DYER. 

